Pencil-sharpener.



- G. WOOD.

PENGIL SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1912.

1,087,4:1 6,. Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS8HEET 1.

Wit esses Innenio 1" Mfg/W Geor G. WOOD, PENCIL SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULYIO, 1912.

1,087,416. Patented Feb. '17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wih QSSES 1190613101 Georgcc Wood 771. 11 0mm yaw GEORGE VTOOD, OF KANSAS CITY MISSOURI.

PENCIL-SHARPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.17,114.

Application filed July 10, 1912. Serial No. 708,553.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, Gnonon 001), a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to pencil sharpen ers of that type embodying a receptacle to catch the waste, means for holding a pencil while being sharpened, and a reciprocatory cutter, and has for its primary object to produce a sharpener of simple, cheap and easily handled construction whereby a pencil of any diameter and form can be etliciently and neatly sharpened without danger of breaking the lead.

With this general object in View, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be clearly understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1, is a top plan view of the sharpener, with the cutter element in operative position, but dotted to avoid hiding features of construction below it. Fig. 2, is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same, and showing a pencil in position and the cutter element in full lines, and further advanced than it appears in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a rear view of the pencil-holding and waste-receiving element of the device, the

pencil being shown in section. Fig. 4., is a detail perspective view of an adjustable bar forming a part of the receiving and holding element. Fig. 5, is an inverted plan view of the cutter element.

In the said drawings, 1 is the top of a table or desk adapted as a convenient support for a box 2, the rear wall 3 of which is preferably lower than the remaining walls and is cut away centrally to provide an opening 4:. At each side the box is provided with an anchor, in the form of an angle lever 5, pivoted at one end to the adjacent side wall of the box and provided with a rubber or equivalent sleeve 6, at its opposite end. When the device is not'in use the anchors are swung forwardly until the ends equipped with the sleeves fit against the side walls, in which position the anchors are re tained by the frictional contact of the sleeves with said walls. Vhen the box is to be put to use the anchors are swung to the position shown in the drawings, so that the sleeves 6 shall extend downward at the rear end of the box for the purpose of bearing against the edge of the top 1, the sleeves being desirable chiefly to avoid marring the finish of the top, and to guard against accidental upward movement of the anchors during the operation of sharpening a pencil, the side walls of the box are provided with outwardly-projecting pins -7, overlying the anchors as shown;

Arranged longitudinally in and upon the bottom of'the box in line with the opening 4 thereof, is a bar 8, screw bolts 9 extending through said bar and into the bottom of the box to make the former a part of the latter, and said bar is horizontally slotted at its front end at 10 and at its rear end at 11, and is provided in the upper and lower walls or sides of the last-named'slot with a longitudinal threaded opening 12. At a suitable point, the bar 8 is provided with an I upwardly-projecting lug 13 provided with a longitudinal recess 14, in its upper end, the lug tapering forwardly and downwardly to correspond with inclined ways hereinafter referred to, at its upper end. The recess from a point near its rear end, increases in width rearwardly at 15, but the main or forward portion of the recess-is of I uniform diameter.

16 is a U-shaped frame which tapers ing to that of the upper end of lug 13. The

frame 16 is adapted for longitudinal adjustment, and to guide it in such adjustment and hold it down upon the bottom of the box, it is provided with a front cross-pin 17 engaging slot 10 of bar 8, and a rear cross-pin 18 engaging slot 11, of bar 8. The U-shaped frame is provided in its rear end, in .line with the recess of lug 13, with a hole'19 to receive the pencil to be sharpened so that the frame shall constitute a part of the pencil holder.

'To effect adjustment forwardly or rearwardly of the frame 16, it is provided with a small hole 20 through which extends a screw 21. The threaded end of the screw 3 engages the threaded opening 12 of bar 8 and the said screw is equipped with collars or enlargements 22 engaging opposite sides of the bridge portion of said frame so that when the screw is turned through the instrui'nentality of its head 23, it moves longitudinally with respect to bar 8 and imparts like movement to the said frame 16. The frame 16 is provided at its front end below the plane of the recess in lug 13, with a cross-pin 24L which projects beyond the sides of the frame and is adapted to limit the forward stroke of the cutter, as hereinafter explained. The cutter element which I preferably employ consists of a plate 25 recessed at its front end at 26 to provide a pair of forwardly-projecting arms 27, the front edge bet-ween the said arms being beveled downwardly and forwardly to avoid interfering with the shavings curving upwardly in the cutting operation.

28 are screw bolts extending through plate 25 and into clamping plate 29 of similar contour to and underlying plate 25, the front portion of plate 29 between its forwardly projecting arms, being tapered upwardly and forwardly as at 30, and extending from arms 27 loosely through the arms of the plate 29 slightly rearward of the plane of the foremost screw bolts 28, is a pair of stop pins 81, for engagement by the front edge of a thin blade 32 interposed between and clamped firmly in place by plates 25 and I have found that old safety razor blades of the Gillette type give excellent service after their period of usefulness as shaving blades is ended. A blade of the type mentioned is shown. For manipulating the cutter, the plate 25 is provided with a shank 83 equipped with a handle 34:.

In operation, a pencil 35 is slipped through opening 19, which is large enough to accommodate any ordinary lead pencil, and pressed into the flaring portion 15 of the recess of the block. The cutter is then placed upon the tracks or ways as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it being noticed that the arms of the clamp plates 25 and 29, are spaced a distance apart slightly in excess of the width of the frame 16, so that the cutter may be held at a slight angle if desired in order to give a draw-cut on the pencil. The pencil being held in the position described, the cutter is reciprocated, and cannot slip off the guide frame because the forwardly-projecting arms of the plate 29 strike the projecting ends of the cross-pin 24 of said frame, it being understood that the pencil is pushed forward through the portion 15 of the recess of block 13 as fast as its end is reduced sufliciently to pass into the recess portion 1 1. It will thus be seen that a new pencil may be sharpened with this device. Under ordinary conditions, however, it is preferable to start the sharpening operation with a knife or other device so that the front end of the pencil shall be sufficiently tapered, when first inserted to project into the portion 14 of the said recess. It will be noticed that in the sharpening operation, the blade travels back and forth on the inclined ways, which by preference will be hardened steel and perfectly smooth so as to resist wear and reduce friction to the minimum, and it will also be noticed that the width of the cutter is preferably such that the parts of the blade which travel 011 the ways cannot by lateral movement of the cutter, be disposed centrally between the ways and thus present a dull edge to the pencil. In the sharpening operation the pencil is turned after each stroke of the cutter so as to present a new surface thereto, and by having the portion 1 1 of the recess as large at its forward end as at its rear end, any slight lateral movement imparted to the pencil may occur without danger of breaking the lead. Any such movement, of course, would be very slight owing to the fact that the opening 19 prevents material sidewise movement of the pencil, and in any such movement the pencil fulcrums on lug 13 at the rear end of the portion 1 1 of the recess therein, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. If it is desired to vary the thickness of the shaving taken from the pencil, the operator grasps the head of the adjusting screw and turns the same properly to impart forward or retrograde movement to frame 16. If the latter is moved rearward, the lower ends of the inclined ways are brought adjacent the lug 18, so that the blade may cut deeper; if moved forward, the higher ends of said ways will be brought adjacent the lug, so that the blades path is correspondingly higher and consequently the blade will cut a thinner shaving.

In operation, the forward pressure applied on the pencil holds the sharpener firmly against the edge of the top of the desk or table, and the pressure of the cutter on the ways, holds the box flatly upon the top so that it is not necessary for the operator to grip the box in the sharpening operation. To replace a blade it is only necessary to give the screw bolts 28 a fractional turn backward. The cutter is then turned on its side to permit the blade to drop from between the clamp plates constituting the blade holder. For storage or when not in use, it is preferable to turn the pivoted anchors to inoperative position against the sides of the box, and the handle can be unscrewed from the shank of the blade holder so that the said parts can be placed in the box to avoid chance of misplacement and loss.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a pencil sharpener embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and which may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the principle of construction as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pencil sharpener, comprising a box having a pair of relatively adjustable elements therein, one of said elements having an upwardly projecting lug, said lug having a recess in its upper edge extending lengthwise of the box, the recess flaring rearwardly from a point intermediate its ends,

the other of said elements comprising a pair of arms flanking the said lug at both sides and sloping downwardly and forwardly at their upper edges, the latter element having a portion extending rearward of said lug provided wit-h a hole in alinement with said recess, and means for adjusting one of said elements, relatively to the other.

2-. A pencil sharpener, comprising a box having a pair of relatively adjustable elements therein, one of said elements being fixed to the box and having an upwardly projecting lug, said lug havinga recess in its upper edge extending lengthwise of the box, the recess flaring rearwardly from a point intermediate its ends, the other of said elements comprising a pair of arms flanking the said lug at both sides and sloping downwardly and forwardly at their upper edges, the latter element having a portion extending rearward of said lug provided with a hole in alinement with said recess, and means for adjusting said latter element relatively to the first element.

3. A pencil sharpener, comprising a box, a pair of relatively adjustable elements in said box, one bearing a fixed relation to the latter, a lug projecting upwardly from one of said elements and provided in the upper edge with a longitudinally-extending recess which flares rearwardly from a point inter mediate its ends, and the other comprising a pair of arms flanking the said lug at both sides and sloping downwardly and forwardly at their upper edges, a part rearward of said lug and provided with a hole in alinement with said recess and adapted to receive a lead pencil, the front end of which is adapted to fit in the said recess, a reciprocatory cutter resting upon the inclined edges of said arms and adapted in its forward stroke to sharpen the pencil, and an adjusting screw extending longitudinally through the adjustable element and screwed into the other element whereby to impart forward or rearward movement to said adjustable element.

i. A pencil sharpener, comprising a box, a pair of relatively adjustable elements in said box, one bearing a fixed relation to the latter, a lug projecting upwardly from one of said elements and provided in its upper edge with a longitudinally-extending recess which flares rearwardly from a point intermediate its ends, and the other comprising a pair of arms flanking the said lug at both sides and sloping downwardly and forwardly at their upper edges, a bridge portion connecting the rear ends of said arms and provided with a hole for the reception of a lead pencil and a small hole in alinement with the element fixed with relation to the box, and an adjusting screw extending through said small hole and threaded into the said fixed element and provided with a pair of collars engaging opposite sides of said bridge portion, whereby to move the same and said arms forwardly or rearwardly.

5. A pencil sharpener, comprising a box, having an opening in its rear end, a bar secured on the bottom of the box in line with said opening and provided with an upwardly-projecting lug which slopes downwardly and forwardly at its upper end and at such end is provided with a longitudinal recess, a U-shaped frame fitting in the opening in the box and upon the bottom thereof with its arms extending longitudinally and snugly embracing the sides of said bar and lug and tapering downwardly and forwardly at their upper edges in parallelism with the inclined upper end of said lug, and provided in its bridge portion with a pencil-receiving hole in longitudinal alinement with said recess and below said hole with a smaller hole, and an adjusting screw extending through said small hole and hearing against the front and rear faces of said bridge portion and having its threaded end engaging the said bar.

6. A pencil sharpener, comprising a box, having an opening in its rear end, a bar secured on the bottom of the box in line with said opening and provided with an upwardly-projecting lug which slopes downwardly and forwardly at its upper end and at such end provided with a longitudinal recess, and provided also with a horizontal slot at its front end and a similar slot at its rear end, a U-shaped frame fitting in the opening in the box and upon the bottom thereof with its arms extending longitudinally and snugly embracing the sides of said bar and lug and tapering downwardly and forwardly at their upper edges in parallelism with the inclined upper end of said lug, and provided in its bridge portion with a pencil-receiving hole in longitudinal alinement with said recess and below said hole with a small hole, a pair of cross pins connecting said arms and respectively engaging the slots of said bar, and an adjusting screw extending through said small hole and bearing against the front and rear faces of said bridge portion having its threaded end engaging the said bar.

7. A cutter for pencil Sharpeners, C0111- prising a plate provided at opposite side edges with forwardly-projecting arms, a similar plate, screws carried by one of the plates and screwed into the other, a pair of pins projecting from one of the plates slidingly through the other, and a blade interposed between and clamped entirely in place by said plates and bearing at its front edge against said pins.

8. A cutter for pencil sharpeners, comprising a plate provided at opposite side edges with forwardly-projecting arms, a similar plate, screws carried by one of the plates and screwed into the other, a pair of 15 pins projecting from one of the plates slidingly through the other, a blade interposed between and clamped entirely in place by said plates and bearing at its front edge against said pins, and a handle secured to one of 3 said plates.

In testimony whereof I my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE 00D.

WVitnesses M. K. PRESTON, G. Y. THORPE.

Games of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latenta, Washington, D. G. 

